Four months ago, after getting my new laptop (which I’m glad to say still works just fine), I ventured an over-optimistic experiment with my old (W.Vista) one. I tried to install an extra keyboard on it, with the disastrous result that it suddenly refused commands from any keyboard. I could not even type in the password. It was a complete deadlock situation - with Windows. Fortunately, though, I also had the alternative system Ubuntu installed on it. And Ubuntu had no problems with the keyboard. So I’ve still been able to use it for some emailing and blog reading.
On and off it has kept bugging me though that I’ve not been able to access Windows on it since that is where I had most documents etc stored.
Yesterday I got it into my head again to give it another go and see if I could fix it somehow. And I did, but I don’t know how!
The manual only had a few lines of cryptic info about how to restore the system “without recovery CDs” which seemed to mean losing everything I had added and changed since I bought it. Nothing about how to restore things with back-up discs that I actually had.
In a stroke of desperation though, I put one of my last back-up discs into the computer anyway, before pressing the start button. Then the machine told me that for unknown reason it couldn’t start but asked me if I wanted it to search for what was wrong? I said yes please (which I could do with a mouseclick, didn’t have to use the keyboard).
It rattled on for a bit, and then there was the log-in box – and suddenly it did allow me to type in the keyword! After that, all was back to normal. Obviously the problem was fixed. I don’t think it had anything to do with the files on that back-up disc. I could probably just as well have put any old CD in. (?)
I’m not risking more trouble by trying that old keyboard again, though. So I’ve decided to invest in another wireless one instead (not to have to keep moving the one I already have between the two computers).
Another piece of good news on the computer front is that I also got my documents and photos and music from the crashed XP desktop back recently. My brother managed to salvage them and put them on an external hard drive for me.
6 comments:
great story, glad it worked out. i have done similar things many times, fix it and have no clue how, just keep punching, clicking and typing and starting and shutting down and eventually i do it. then i pray it will not happen again because i will still not know what happened or why or how to fix it. you did a great job, and it is a very good idea to get another keyboard. do you not like typing on the laptop?
Great! Glad it worked. Now I tell you my story:
I had a PC with AMD processor, which gave out ater 4 years. I tried to repair it but for no avail. My brother took a pity on me and gave me his CPU. (My LCD monitor works fine!). That computer too used to reboot itself after every few minutes. I even called a professional but he could'n't get to the problem. I decided to buy a laptop. I even negotiated on one and was on verge of buying it when the sale fell through. I got home dejected. Next day, I took everything apart from my PC, then put it all together again. Voila, it worked. And is still working wityhout a hitch. It has been a almost a month now. Eventually I will get around buying that new laptop but for now, I am happy!
BTW, I have used Linux system for a long time, Sidux, and it works fine. No virus, faster system.
I am using windows right now but plan to install sidux again.
Sandra, because of problems with neck/shoulder/arm, I use an additional keyboard most of the time.
Gautami, glad you got your PC to work. On my old laptop I do find Ubuntu much faster than Windows and I will still be using that. W.Vista is terribly slow. It was just irritating to know that it took up most of the hard drive to no use!
Computers do strange and mysterious things. I like your picture if the keyboard. So now all of your files are either on your new laptop or an external? That's great!!! I love that little pop up box that asks do you want it to search for a solution. Too bad it rarely seems to come up when I really need it!
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Congratulations. I'm very happy for your reunion!
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